Episode 444: Sultans of Swat

Episode 444: Welcome to the start of the 2026 All-Star Break. It’s been a long and winding road for every team, but who or what has been the biggest surprise from the first half of the season? The guys discuss plenty of surprises, including the Chicago White Sox in a prime playoff position despite low preseason odds and the Pittsburgh Pirates boasting the second-best offense in baseball. Jared and the guys share their Home Run Derby selections before Jared heads to Media Day in Philadelphia. Jay Hay, Dallas, and Tyler stick around to talk about how sweep-happy the league was in its final series before the break. They also chat about the draft that took place this weekend. Check out our interviews with three of the top four picks from this year’s draft on the Baseball Is Dead YouTube page! They wrap up the show talking about JJ Wetherholt getting a bag to stay in St. Louis, and Dallas shouts out the efforts of now-former A’s pitching coach Scott Emerson. Tune in to a Monday edition of BID, and stick around for Wednesday morning’s recap of the All-Star Game! 00:00:00 - Biggest Surprises From the First Half of the Season 00:16:22 - Home Run Derby Predictions & Picks 00:27:30 - Jamie Moyer & Cam Schlittler 00:36:51 - A Weekend of Sweeps 01:00:25 - An Athletics Update 01:05:47 - Guardians Claim Their Own Sweep 01:07:54 - MLB Draft Reactions 01:25:51 - JJ Wetherholt Gets the Extendo 01:31:16 - Dallas Gets Cheesy For a Former Coach 01:36:13 - Award-Winning Nugs & Final Thoughts NEW BID MERCH IS HERE: https://www.baseballisdead.com Trade $20 get $20 on Kalshi - https://app.kalshi.com/1r91/BID Sign Up For Our Patreon for more Baseball Is Dead Content! https://www.patreon.com/cw/BaseballisDead Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices